Bollywood, prop-ahly

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Bollywood rocks the symbolism-via-props thing. The filmi gaana truly highlights and glorifies otherwise unexciting objects. Not that we’re complaining. We bring you the best of the lot.

brunchUpdated: Aug 31, 2013 17:32 IST

Shaoli Rudra Hindustan Times

It is a truth universally acknowledged that Bollywood rocks the symbolism-via-props thing. The filmi gaana truly highlights and glorifies otherwise unexciting objects. Not that we’re complaining. We bring you the best of the lot:

THAT TREE AND GENDA PHOOLIf you dance around a tree, it’s Bollywood. Flowers are just as critical – the quintessential phoolon ka milna at the end of a romantic scene/song means a kiss or more. Feathers must run across your jaaneman’s face or you could play in the hay. This can have awkward results as SRK and Kajol proved in the legendary Jaati hoon main. None of this applies if it’s a Barjatya movie. In that case, the same white ‘pomerian’ aka Tuffy will appear in most scenes and all songs. He’s a true star.

MERI SAHELI AND OTHER FAMILY MEMBERSGrab your girlfraand, do kikli or the Piya Piya O Piya Piya fist-chest pump, peek coquettishly at your beau from behind her shoulders. In case your friends aren’t around, use your mum as a human shield. Madhuri did that quite successfully in Maye ni Maye.

ME PLAY MUSICAL INSTRUMENT. ME AWESOME.Hey, you don’t have to hold a guitar properly – it’s a movie yaar! Just look at Zeenat Aman in Chura Liya and Salman Khan in O oh Jaane Jaana. If guitars aren’t your thing, Bollywood also offers a wide range of similarly tormented harmonicas, accordions and pianos to choose from.

UNDER MY UMBRELLAWhat a multi-faceted Bolly prop the umbrella is! Have fun in the rain with a funky transparent one like Sridevi did in Na jaane kahan se aayi hai. Or stick to the basics because nothing spells romance quite like the plain black chhaata during barsaat. We have Pyaar hua ikraar hua. We win. Sorry, Rihanna.

DIYA POWER – lighting up your lifeYou need a diya. You need to look like Aishwarya Rai. And you need to hold it up just as she did in Silsila ye chahat ka. While you may end up burning things or just look like a creepy lady with a candle like the one in the Noorie music video. She just looked stunning. Diyas are in every Diwali song, you see them floating down rivers but most importantly, they helped Mommy Raichand and her puja ki thali welcome beta Rahul SRK Raichand back home. Cue Kabhi khushi kabhie gham. Sob!

SPORT-SHORTDhal gaya din *Tak* Ho gayi shaam. *Tak* …who knew badminton could be so endearing? Basketball caused Anjali and Rahul to fight. So they sang Haye haye re haye ye ladka. The same basketball made a return in Ladki badi anjani hai. And to all the Sanjus across the country who desperately wanted Rajput college to lose, cycles have never been the same since Yahan ke hum sikandar. And in celebration of Sanju’s win, raise those hockey sticks to the tune of Chak de India.

TOWEL TROUBLEAdmit it, you watched Saawariya just to see Ranbir Kapoor dance in that sheet wala towel singing Jab se tere naina. And every time Jeene ke hai chaar din plays, you scramble for your nearest towel to do that between-the-legs wala step.

HALL OF FAMESome props that must get honourable mentions. Just because you can’t imagine that song without them.

The giant easter egg that Amitabh Bachchan called home in My name is Anthony Gonsalves

The chairs from Tamma tamma loge. They were magic. They made Sanjay Dutt dance.

Every single prop in Naino mein sapna. Each matka and feather duster in that song should be looked at with love.

From HT Brunch, September 1

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